Santa Barbara is a place unto itself...In many ways it resembles a European City, with its sidewalk cafes and a multitude of people from around the world walking down the streets. It is the home of many entertainers, and a popular destination of travelers . What brings all these people here? Perhaps the weather...or just perhaps the magic in the air............
And maybe it was that magic that brought John Peck Stearns here to build his Wharf, bringing the world to Santa Barbara, and Santa Barbara to the world.
Prior to the building of the Wharf in 1872 - Santa Barbara was vitrually cut off from the world. There was no railroad, no harbor, no roads, no means to come and go except by sea.
Embarking or Debarking a ship meant finding a means to transverse the swells and the constantly breaking waves of the Pacific.
And of course, ships are always at the mercy of nature. The generally calm Santa Barbara climate of the 1870's often had its suprises, and those suprises were mostly the temperament of the sea. Just a slight complication to a place difficult enough to get to...
So, it was this that compelled John Stearns to build his Wharf, Santa Barbara's Wharf, which took on a life of its own, and is an integral a part of the City and its history. Shaping what has become Santa Barbara.
In a nutshell, Stearns Wharf has seen the railroad and the automobile come to town, the advent of the airline industry, two World Wars, Prohibition, and near distruction from nature and from the people of the town itself, and yet it still stands today as the first gateway to Santa Barbara.
| If you plan on visiting, here is a link get Infomation...(Visitor's Bureau)
|
And some sights to entice you into making the sojourn |
| Getting to Santa Barbara - For the Traveler | Getting Around Town |
| Places of local Historical interest | Places to find Antiques |
| Places to Stay in Santa Barbara | Higher Education Opportunities |
And remember there is never a dull moment....
In 1998 our gateway into paradise had a little mishap, but don't fret all was not lost...it just looked that way....and added another chapter to the saga of Stearns Wharf.
NOTE: March 7, 2001 - reconstruction of the the damaged area of the wharf has been completed. The merchants and the City Officially held a reopening on November 18, 2000, two years to the day of the Stearns Wharf fire. Stearns Wharf welcomes back the public.
February has been like summer, and it promises to be a beautiful spring.
Last year's I Madonnari festival was as beautiful as ever.... The one this May promises to be even better.
Last year's Solstice celebration was as an enjoyable day for all who attended.... June is soon approaching, bringing another Solstice to a town that loves sunshine.
You are visitor # to this page since October 10, 1999
Last worked on: February 12, 2002
Send comments or questions to Damian c/ogadal@rain.org
Gadal Enterprises